So I've been eyeing some pro-mark hot rods lately as my band sometimes plays songs that would necessitate lower volumes, and I was thinking of any possible way to save money when I remembered the little wooden sticks that you stick stuff on for kebabs. They're about the same diameter as the little rod thingies, and taping a few together would probably make a nice de facto hot rod. Before I go to the grocery store, does this seem like insanity to anybody?

I can't comment on how well it might work, but I like your train of thought. The only thing I might add is rather than taping them together use heat shrink tubing. If the real hot rods aren't assembled using heat shrink tubing they use something very similar. You can get heat shrink tubing from any electronics supply house such as Mouser or Newark. Check out P.N. 97M6869 on www.newark.com. If you don't have a heat gun to shrink the tubing you can carefully heat the tubing over your stove.

I've been making my own bundle sticks (hot rods, thunder rods, etc) for years. Just find a store that sells real dowels. They some in different sizes so you can make perfect sized rods, and they are generally pretty cheap. I normally go to the local hobby shop or small town hardware store.

I assemble them with two wraps of duct tape around the upper portion. Then smear some wood glue between the sticks on the grip end. Then both these areas get some heat shrink tubing I order from the local industrial supply (comes in all sorts of colors). To top it off I've been reusing the rubber ends from the pro-mark thunder rods for years. Last time I added it up a pair of thunder rods cost me something like $5.00 to make.